Vacuum-cleaner.



H. L. BOYLE.

VACUUM CLEANER.

MPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. 1915.

1,299,547. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

A TTORNE Y.

YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWER I1. BOYLE, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL H.

- DAVIS, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

VACUUM-CLEANER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Application Med January 26, 1915. Serial No. 4,544.

' following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet cleaners but moreparticular the class known as vacuum cleaners, the object of which is todevise a vacuum cleaner whereby the bellows will act in directconnection with the nozzle, in order to minimize the air space. Y Withthe above primary objects and other incidental objects 1n view, theinvention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents ashereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1,is a side elevation of the device without the brush attachment; Fig. 2,is a similar view with the side of the casing removed to show theinternal mechanism; Fig. 3, is a bottom view with the bottom part of thecasing removed showing the internal mechanism from the under side; Fig.4, is a front view, showing the position of the dust sack. Fig. 5, is afront view of the nozzle with the dust sack removed to show the positionof the outervalves; Fig. 6, is a 'back view of the nozzle showing theposition of the valves from the inside of the casing; Fig. 7, is a sideelevation of the middle board of the nozzle; Fig. 8, is an end view ofthe nozzle; Fig. 9, is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig.6; Fig. 10, is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 6; Fig.11, is

a plan view of the frame for attaching the dust sack to the nozzle (Fig.5) Fig. 12, is an-end view of the same showing the spring which holdsthe nozzle bail securely in place.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. In thepreferred construction, the cleaner comprises a casing 1 which maysuitably be formed of wood or sheet metal and may be of any desired formbut preferably as'that shown in Fig. 1 and has a'handle 2 attached toits sides by means of a bail 3 so that the device may be convenientlypushed over the floor or surface to be cleaned. Numeral 4 designates adust sack, made of any woven fabric, the lower end of which is suitablyattached to an oblong frame 5 which in turn is held in place over thefront of the nozzle 6 by means of a bail 7 WhlCll being made of anysuitable metal but preferably spring steel has its ends sprung into themetal washers 8, fastened to each side of the casing, and held firmlyover the frame 5 by means of steel springs- 3; 10 is a hook or othersuitable fastenlng to fasten the other end of the dust sack to thecasing. to keep the same out of the way from interfering with the movingof the sweeper and to allow plenty of surface for the dust to accumulatein; 11 is a hook or fastening for attaching an ordinary brush carpetsweeper to the rear of the cleaner, for the purpose of gathering theravelings or loose particles not gatheredby the vacuum formed from theworking of the bellows.

The nozzle 6 is preferably constructed with pieces of thin wood or othersuitable material of 5 to 6 inches in width to about 12 inches long,according to size of sweeper under contemplation. The faces of thesepieces are glued or otherwise fastened together, and there areordinarily three pieces, one forming the front of the nozzle, one themiddle thereof and being recessed as described, and the thirdconstituting the back board of the nozzle which is the one that isdirectly connected with the bellows. In the drawings are shown threeopenings, which openings are extended through the three pieces,enumerated 12; the completed aperture is then properly covered on theoutward surface, as shown in Fig. 5, by properly weighted flap valves(13) which valves are so seated that when opened from the pressure fromwithin, they will again resume their normal positions as coverings overthe apertures as the pressure is removed because of the light weight ontop of the valve and the suction caused by the receding of the, bellows.The middle piece 14 of the nozzle as illustrated in Fig. 7 is cut orbandsawed out as represented by numeral 14:, so that there will be freepassages from the mouth of the nozzle to the valves 15 as shown in Fig.10,

which valves are likewise weighted and seated. The orifice 16 of thenozzle may be pro- I tected by a slotted plate to give a smooth surfaceto come in contact with the floor or article to be cleaned. I do notwish to limit my claims to this specific construction of the nozzle asthe same principle may be'consum- 01 even one mated by makingthe nozzleof two pieces iece instead of three, and the valves mav e placed side byside or one above anot er. As shown in Fig. 3 there are three bellows17? attached directly to the nozzle, respective y covering the threesets of valves. ,While I have shdwn three bel'-.

lows and three sets of valves, a sweeper may be constructed that willnot depart from my invention having any number of bellows andcorresponding valves. 18 and 19 designate the front and backboards ofthe bellows, being preferably constructed of square blocks of wood, acollapsible'material surrounding the two, forming an air tightcomgartment, but for the valve openings in the ellowsboards (18).Numeral 2 0 designates stays pivoted to the to of thelcasing and thelower. corner of the ellows board 19, so that it may move back and forthwith the motion of the bellows to keep the same in 3 position. Securedcentrally to the bellows boards 19 by brackets 21 are pitmen (22), offiber or other suitable material, the other ends of which areattachedofl' center to the drive wheels (23) or to the axle (24) which connectsthe drive wheels, the axle havingv a crook (25) which forms a crank orturn for the urpose, so that when the sweeper is moved a ong the surfaceto be cleaned it willbe seen that the bellows boards will bereciprocated to actuate the bellows. .As the bellows are in directconnectionv with the valves to the nozzle, they. will have a tendency todraw in the dust laden air from the I floor or surface to be cleanedthrough the orifice (16), which, being directly connected with the innervalve 15, will allow the dust laden air to enter the bellows, and aseach bellows is being closed by the pressure of the pitman against thebellows board '19 the pendant fla valve 15 will close and the air anddust will be exhaled or forced through the outer valves 13 into the dustreceptacle 4, which is made of a foraminous material that acts as astrainer, allowing the air to escape but retaining alldu'st and dirt. Itwill thus be particularly noted that I have constructed a bellowssweeper, whereby by connecting the bellows directly with the nozzle, Ihave minimized the" air space to the small aperture in the nozzle itselfdesi g:

nated by 14 as shown in Fig. 7. The dust sack may be cleaned at any timeby raising. the bail 7, which allows the frame 5 to be removed and thesack thoroughly cleaned without disturbing or raising the cleaner fromthe floor.

o h ving a fixed chambered bellows porting In the operation ofthisinvention, as will be noted in Figs.-9 and 10 particularly, the Ifixed bellows board is also the nozzle, having a hollow interior open atthe bottom by way of which the dirt is sucked up, and the h low interioropens almost directly into the bellows. By this construction a veryquick, strong suctlon is attained, and the cleaning.

the said orifices, the said a'ving openings passing.

trolling the said openings through the bel lows board. v y Y 2. In avacuum cleaner, the combination with a nozzle, of a bellows havin itsfolding portion directly connected wit the noz-. zle whereby the nozzleconstitutes the rela-- tively fixed board of the bellows, means foroperating the bellows, the nozzle having orifices opening into thebellows, inlet valves controlling the said orifices, the said nozzlehaving openings passin through it, outlet valves exteriorly contro lingthe said-openings, and a dust receiver connected with the nozzleexteriorlv, the mouth of the dust receilver being arranged over the saidoutlet va ves.

3.. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination with a nozzle, of a bellowshaving its folding portion directly connected with the noz- Y zlewhereby the nozzle constitutes the relatively fixed board of thebellows, means for operating the bellows, the said nozzle havingorifices opening into the bellows, inlet valves controlling the saidorifices, the said nozzle havin a portion projecting exteriorly andopenings passing directly through the nozzle and through the saidprojecting portion thereof, outlet valves arranged exter orly upon thesaid projecting portion of the nozzle and controlling the said openings,a

' dust receiver arranged with its mouth covering the said projectingportion and outlet valves, and removable means for securing the mouth ofthe dust receiver in place.

4.. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination with a casingof a nozzle havina vertical side, a bellows having its folding-portion connected directlywith said vertical sideof the nozzle whereby the nozzle constitutes therelatively fixed board of the bellows, the said bellow-s having amovable board attached. to the said folding portion, stayspivotally'attached to the top of the said caeing and to the said movable'board for supthe said board, means for moving it, outlet valvesexteriorly contro the movable hoard toward and from the said the saidnozzle exteriorly and arranged to nlozzlzlle to operate the bellovvs,thtla1 saiailnnoz receive dust from the said outlet valves. z eavmg oncos 0 enmg into t e ows inlet valves controlliiig the said orifices, thev BOYLE said nozzle having openings passin%lthrough Witnesses:

ing the CHAS. J. DAVIS, said openings, and a device connected withALLAN'R. BLACK.

